The Mezzaluna is a staple of Italian kitchens. Named after its half-moon shape, this knife is used for cutting herbs and making pesto. The mezzaluna also makes cutting onions and celery a joy. The rocking action of the blade cuts much like the action of a cooks knife. It's perfect for chopping, dicing, and mincing of veggies, herbs and spices. It's quicker and safer than a straight-bladed knife. You use a rocking motion when using this knife. Place food on a cutting board and rock the blade back and forth. A skilled chef will never remove the blade from the cutting surface. This is a quick and safe form of mincing. Wusthof uses a special blend of German steel through out the whole length of the knife. Wusthof not only uses the best materials to make a fine knife, but it is also crucial that each blade is precisely tempered. This tempering allows the knife to hold its edge for an extremely long time.